First of all let’s start off with an explanation of what hormones are. Basically, hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream from and to tissues and organs. They work slowly for the most part and affect many different processes. Some of these are:

Growth and development

Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat

Sexual function

Reproduction

Mood

Hormones are not just something a personal trainer in South Jordan should be concerned about. If you want to improve your fitness and lose weight, you should be concerned too. Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, are where hormones are made. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. In addition to those I already listed, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.

Hormones pack a punch!! It only takes a teeny tiny amount to cause BIG changes in your cells or for that matter, even in your whole body. That is why not enough or even too much of any certain hormone can be serious, not to mention cause you (and everyone around you) A LOT of grief. Lab tests can measure the hormone levels in your blood, urine or saliva.

Hormones are produced using the good fats and cholesterol found in the foods we eat. A lack of these important dietary factors can cause you pretty major hormone problems simply put, because your body doesn’t have the building blocks it needs in order to make them. Toxins containing chemicals that mimic these building blocks or that mimic the hormones themselves are also problematic because the body gets psyched out, if you will, and will attempt to create hormones using the wrong building blocks. Uhmm, that’s NO GOOD!
So, what to do if your hormones ARE out of whack? Trust this personal trainer in South Jordan, you came to the right place to find out!

1. Avoid High Omega 6 Polyunsaturated Fats (vegetable, peanut, soybean, canola oils, margarine and shortening). These oils have man made Omega 6’s in them and as such are unstable not to mention they oxidize easily. No bueno. The oxidized fats cause all kinds of problems, namely inflammation and mutations of the cells. These mutations can cause things such as clogged arteries and skin cancer. Nope, I’m not kidding.

4. Avoid Toxins. Plastics, pesticides and household chemicals all cause big problems for those with a hormone imbalance. Make sure to wash ALL of your fruits and veggies before eating them as well as avoiding plastic water bottles. Likewise, wear a facial mask when using household cleaners.

5. Exercise, but do it lightly. Did you ever think you’d hear a personal trainer in South Jordan say that? Extended intense exercise actually makes the problem worse in the beginning so take it easy while your hormones are readjusting. Remember that the right amount of REST is just as important as the right amount of work.

6. Lift heavy weights (you know that right now I’m smiling bigger than a kid at Christmas time, right?). Long extended, boring and mindless cardio sessions are harmful (Hell yes, finally a reason to avoid them!!!) in the beginning. On the other hand, short bursts of heavy lifting can be beneficial. Why? Because they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. YAY!!! 🙂

7. Use Coconut Oil. This stuff is amazing!! It provides the necessary building blocks for hormone production, can assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, and even has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. That’s a win-win in my book!

8. Supplement wisely. What does that mean? It means talk to a RD (registered dietitian) or your doctor to decide which supplements are right for you (usually based off of a blood or saliva test). Having the right amount of each mineral in your system can make a world of difference!

So there ya have it. The low down on hormones. Are they important… yeah just a little bit. Oh wait, A LOT!!!

Soda Pop. Ick. Ick. Ick!! It’s everywhere! Movie theaters, restaurants, gas stations on every corner, in every grocery store in the country and most likely it’s even in your home right now as you read this. Every single one of you that drink that nasty sugar water know that you shouldn’t. If I were to ask you why you shouldn’t drink it, you’d all give me the same answer too. “Because it’s not good for my health”. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have winner!!! Next question…WHY is not good for your health?

Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…well, it’s uhmmmmmmm…..it has a lot of sugar…..and uhmmmmmm……

Oh jeez, this sounds worse that one of the presidential election debates!! There’s a whole lot of uhmmming going on!! Let’s have a little chit chat on why soda pop should be banned forever from your shopping list and every single day of your life from here on out! 🙂

There are several reasons why skipping the sipping will not only add to your years but increase the quality of life in those years as well! The first, and sometimes the only, down side to soda that most people understand is the amount of sugar that is in each can of cola you consume. What some people don’t understand is that sugar has calories, and not just a few. Each can 12 oz soda pop packs a whopping 140-180 calories. Factor in that they are empty calories (meaning they don’t provide you any nutritional benefit or help satisfy your hunger) and that seems pretty pointless! Also keep in mind that most people don’t reach for just one can…it’s usually two or three per day. Yikes!

With all of my soda drinking clients thus far the argument then becomes…well fine, I’ll switch to diet. Oh puh-leeeeeze!!! How about you don’t instead?? How about we just drink WATER? Lemme tell you why! In a study that followed 474 people for 10 years, diet soda-drinkers packed on more belly fat than soda abstainers. As a whole, diet-soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than those who didn’t drink any soda. Whoa!!! The “heavy drinkers” (the people who averaged two or more diet sodas a day) had a 500% larger increase in waist circumference than people who avoided soda altogether…FIVE HUNDRED!!!! Oh. My. Hell!!!!

We’ve talked before about how belly fat is worse than fat stored elsewhere in your body due to the fact that it spikes your risk for CVD, (cardiovascular disease), type 2 diabetes and a myriad of other heath problems. A study of more than 6,000 middle-aged adults found that people who consumed one or more soft drinks a day were over 50% more likely to have metabolic syndrome than people who drank soda less than once a week. Not sure what metabolic syndrome is? It is a host of symptoms, including large waist circumference, obesity, abnormal lipid level and high blood pressure, that dramatically increases risk for type 2 diabetes…sometimes referred to as pre diabetes.

Curious as to how artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain? They increase sweet cravings and your appetite for food in general. See, when you drink a diet soda, the sweetness you taste makes you feel good. This drives you to want more sweets to get the same feel-good feeling you just experienced BUT, when you drink diet soda, no sugar reaches your brain. Studies show that sucrose (table sugar) and artificial sweeteners affect sweet receptors differently in your brain, and the pathways that give you pleasure from eating artificial sweeteners don’t get fully activated. The result? Your brain is not satisfied, and you WILL end up eating more sweets to feel satisfied. No bueno!

In addition to increased risk of diabetes, it also kick it up a notch for your risk of getting heart disease. In a study that followed 42,000 men for 22 years, frequent regular soda consumers had elevated levels of triglycerides, C-reactive protein and other inflammatory factors, and lower levels of heart-protective, or “good” cholesterol. These are all signs that soda hurts heart health, big time. Notably, soda drinkers were much more likely to suffer a heart attack over the course of the study. The part that freaked me out the most was this; each soda that participants drank on a daily basis increased their chances of heart attack by 19%, even after other variables, like diet quality and BMI, were taken into account. Holy moly!!! Each soda upped their risk of meeting the ER doc by 19%!! That’s huge!

In fact, the link between added sugars and cardiovascular disease is serious enough that the AHA (American Heart Association) suggested limiting intake of added sugars to 100 calories a day for women and 150 calories a day for men. Folks, that means that just one regular 12-ounce soda would push you OVER that daily limit.

As if this info isn’t enough to positively identify soda as a the killer it is, it also has been proven that it leads to weaker bones, weaker teeth and an increased risk of kidney stones, kidney disease and liver issues. In addition to that, soda cans contain BPA. Did ya know that? Most people don’t. So all that effort you made to ensure that your plastic water bottle was BPA free…yeah, ya threw it right out the window when ya reached for, and cracked open, a can or soda pop!

So, next time you’re at the movies, dinner out with friends or even sitting in your own home…may I suggest a nice tall glass of water instead? Your body will THANK YOU!!!!!! 🙂

On top of that fact, depending on your age and how much weight you have to lose, you will have a certain amount of excess skin. Again, depending on how much weight you have to lose, your skin elasticity and where your body stores it’s excess fat, you could have said excess skin in three or four areas, it could be limited to one or two areas or it could be more evenly distributed throughout your entire body.

Another factor to consider is how you lose the excess fat (whether you stick to diet only, diet and cardio only or incorporate lifting weights or personal training in Utah as well), how you eat while shedding the unwanted pounds (keep in mind that your skin is your largest organ, it needs nutrients, water, vitamins and minerals in order to be as healthy as possible-not to mention to retain as much elasticity as possible), and your body composition (ratio of fat to your lean muscle mass; another good reason to lift weights ;).

Think about it this way, if you drape a tablecloth over an easel, there’s a lot of tablecloth left with nothing to do other than just hang there. However, if you drape the same tablecloth over a chair, the tablecloth has more surface to cover and doesn’t hang, but rather, takes the shape of the chair. The only difference is the frame that you put the tablecloth over, make sense? The more muscle you put on your frame the less your skin will hang. Now, that’s not to be misunderstood as me saying that if you lift weights you won’t deal with loose skin, because realistically, you will. However, lifting weights can help improve your self confidence and self esteem as you near your goal by giving your skin a better frame to cover.

So, realistically, what can you expect to see in the mirror when you reach your goal?

While I can’t guarantee you a certain pant size, dress size or likeness to any given actor, actress or whomever it is you secretly desire to look like, I can guarantee you that the mirror will reflect a much healthier, much happier and much more fit reflection of you. I can tell you that you will be thinner, that you will will feel more attractive and more confident than you did before you began. I can tell you that there will be milestones along the way that will make you feel like jumping up and down, like shouting to the entire world, all of which will indeed be a cause for celebration. I can tell you that you will not regret, for a single second, your decision, commitment or dedication to making the journey and I can tell you without any hesitation whatsoever, you will wish you had done it sooner. 🙂

]]>http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/11/managing-expectations/feed/0This Fitness Trainer In Utah Says: BREATHE!http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/10/breathe/
http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/10/breathe/#respondSat, 28 Oct 2017 22:58:11 +0000http://transformationtrainer.com/?p=521+ Read More]]>As a fitness trainer in Utah, I help my clients with a lot of things. Proper form for various exercises is, of course, high on the list, as is guiding them through nutritional questions and concerns. It may surprise you to learn that also ranking high on the list, is assisting clients learn proper breathing during exercise. Most people laugh when I tell them that I have to remind my clients to breathe, but I’m here to tell ya, I DO!

Believe it or not, there is a right way, and several very wrong ways, to go about it. Some people think that simply the fact that they continue to breathe should be enough…not exactly. On the other hand, some people don’t breathe at all, but instead, try holding their breath, sometimes through entire sets! After reminding them to breathe, I tease them that I’d prefer they not try to make me look bad, I’d really rather not be known as the trainer whose clients all pass out due to lack of oxygen, thank you very much!! 🙂

Breathing is something that most people take for granted, in fact they rarely even give it a second thought. That’s because it is a function that can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously. Unconscious breathing is the type of breathing that you are doing right this very second; you are not actively thinking about inhaling and exhaling (or at least you weren’t until I pointed it out…lol). Our brains control our normal, everyday breathing patterns through specialized centers in the brain stem. The rate and pattern of our breathing is automatically changed to match our current activity level or physical state in order to take in enough oxygen and remove enough carbon dioxide to keep us alive.

Conscious breathing, on the other hand, occurs when we thoughtfully control our inhales and exhales in order to create a more efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide during physical activity. So, what is the right way to breathe when you’re getting your sweat on and why does it matter?

How you should be breathing, depends on whether you’re in the weight room, fitting in your cardio or sitting in a yoga class. All three types of activity have different breathing techniques, but we’re only covering proper breathing for the weight room today. As far as why it’s important, well; see for yourself!

Proper breathing during exercise:

Makes cardiovascular training more efficient (Okay, I’m sold! As much as I dislike cardio, I want every fricking second to be as effective as possible!!)

Encourages relaxation during mind/body and flexibility training (such as yoga)

Prevents dizziness and shortness of breath during all forms of exercise

I’d say it’s important, how about you?

Breathing Technique in the Weight Room

Any good fitness trainer in Utah will tell you that when lifting weights always, always, ALWAYS, remember to exhale on the concentric portion of the movement (the part of the lift that is hardest, i.e., exertion, your sticking point) and inhale on the negative portion of the movement (returning the weight to it’s starting point). Doing this ensures that you are not storing carbon dioxide, but rather, expelling it. That’s a good start, but let me share with you a few more reasons that holding your breath, whether to get through a whole set or just the last few reps, is a bad idea. Holding your breath during a lift, especially a heavy lift, causes your blood pressure to sky-rocket as well as your intra abdominal pressure. You can see it happen, just watch people’s faces, the folks that aren’t breathing correctly, especially those that hold their breath, their face will turn bright red and veins start popping out all over the place. Increased blood pressure is not a good idea when you’re holding additional weight in your hands which is already putting a fair amount of stress on your body. In addition, holding your breath while lifting weights can also cause a heart attack, a hernia, stroke, dizziness and fainting. However, done correctly, breathing can actually improve your lifts by bringing more energy and mental focus to your workout at a higher intensity. Now that, is a win-win! Fitness trainer in Utah approved! 🙂

I’ve had several clients ask me about the difference between nutritional ketones vs exogenous recently, so I decided I’d do a blog post about them and try to clear things up for everyone.

Exogenous simply refers to something that is not produced by the body, but is brought into the body from outside sources. For instance, your multi-vitamin, your protein shakes and any prescriptions you take are all exogenous. On the other hand, something created in the body is referred to as endogenous. If we apply that to ketosis it means that when you’re following a ketogenic diet (low carb, moderate protein, high fat) and your body transitions from burning glucose to burning fat for fuel, ketones are then endogenously produced in your liver.

So why take exogenus ketones? Well, some people are mislead to believe that they can have the benefits of being in ketosis without having to follow the carbohydrate restrictions that come with a ketogenic diet (as usual, when I use the word diet I am simply referring to nutritional intake, not any type of fad diet). Some people, again mislead, use them as a buffer in addition to eating a ketogenic diet, to ensure they stay in ketosis if they go over their net carbs here and there. There is all kinds of hype and vague weight loss promises surrounding them online.

In my humble opinion, there are really only two reasons to use exogenous ketones. The first is for those people who are athletes, who are already keto adapted (been following a ketogenic lifestyle for 2-3 months) and want to increase energy for peak performance. The second, is after reading some promising research, shows that they are helpful to those suffering from Alzheimer’s, as well as those who have epilepsy. However, more research needed.

Okay, so back to the first group of people I mentioned who take exogenous ketones; those who think they can eat as they always have, drink the magic ketones and all will be well…yeah no, that’s not how it works. See, exogenous ketones only stay in your system for 3-6 hours, and even then…you’ve still got all the glucose running around in your system because you haven’t changed how you eat. Wanna know what happens to glucose that isn’t immediately used for energy? Once a sufficient amount (about 1,500-2,000 calories worth) has been stored in your muscles and liver (which changes the name from glucose to glycogen), any excess is stored AS FAT! So drinking these ketones will NOT put you into a state of ketosis, period. You have to enter ketosis via your nutritional intake. That’s why it’s called nutritional ketosis. This same explanation applies to those who use exogenous ketones to “stay in ketosis” when they go over their carbs, too. Nope. It’s like any other nutritional plan. Either you eat the right way, hit your workouts, drink your water, get all your sleep, etc., etc., etc. or you don’t. Our bodies are SO SMART! You can’t trick them. Honestly, as always, it all starts with the food you put into your mouth.

Listen closely to what I’m about to say:THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL, DRINK OR CONCOCTION. That includes exogenous ketones. There is only hard work, dedication and consistency. You want results? Great! Go hire a trainer for guidance (I’ve got some great session times open), get out there and go get the results you want so badly! But be prepared to work for it, because like my Dad always used to say…..Anything worth having is worth working your ass off for!

Today’s recipe is a real winner. You’re gonna love it, your family is gonna love it and I’d bet even your dog will love it! I made this recipe last fall for the first time and my children request it at least three or four times a month. Yes, trust me, it’s that good!!

Philly Cheesesteak Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

EVOO

1/2 cup pork rinds

1 egg

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbs A-1 Steak sauce

Salt and pepper

Option A

9 slices of smoked provolone cheese

Option B

String cheese sticks, cut into quarters

Mozzarella to sprinkle on top

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°. Sautée the pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until the peppers soften and the onion turns translucent.

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, combine the meat, pork rinds, egg, Worcestershire and the salt and pepper. Once the pepper mix is sautéed, add it to the meat mixture and combine.

Option A

In a greased loaf pan, layer 1/3 of the meat mixture, then 3 slices of cheese, 1/3 of the meat mixture, 3 slices of cheese, the remaining 1/3 of the meat and the last 3 slices of cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165° is reached). Let sit 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Option B

This is the way I make it, because my mom used to make mini meat loafs using a measuring cup. I decided to try my muffin tin one night and voila! Now I make them this way every time! Plus the kids think it’s cool. Lol.

Put enough meat mixture in each muffin section of your tin to fill half the cup. Place a section of the cut string cheese in the center and then fill cup to the top with meat mixture. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until internal temperature of 165° is reached. Let sit 5 minutes to rest. Serve and enjoy.

]]>http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/09/philly-cheesesteak-meatloaf/feed/0Keto Cauliflower “Potato” Saladhttp://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/keto-cauliflower-potato-salad/
http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/keto-cauliflower-potato-salad/#respondMon, 28 Aug 2017 04:28:10 +0000http://transformationtrainer.com/?p=913+ Read More]]>Today’s post is a recipe, and not just any recipe! Today I’m posting the recipe for my Keto cauliflower potato salad. This is the side dish I serve with my Keto fried chicken and it is soooo good!

Keto Cauliflower “Potato” Salad

Ingredients:

1 head of Cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

4-6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 whole dill pickles, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

6 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

2 Tbs mustard (be forewarned, I like a lot of mustard in my salad so you may need to adjust that to your liking)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower pieces, cover and cook for about 5-6 minutes depending on how big your pieces are. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. (Nobody wants mushy salad!)

Once the cauliflower is completely cooled and drained, combine in a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour prior to serving.

Enjoy!!!

]]>http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/keto-cauliflower-potato-salad/feed/0Learning the Basics: The KETO Way of Eatinghttp://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/learning-the-basics-the-keto-way-of-eating/
http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/learning-the-basics-the-keto-way-of-eating/#respondMon, 14 Aug 2017 05:40:35 +0000http://transformationtrainer.com/?p=909+ Read More]]>As promised, today’s post goes a little more in-depth as to what a ketogenic (aka KETO) way of eating entails. Let’s dive straight in!

First of all, what is ketosis?

It is a natural metabolic state in which your body produces and utilizes ketones for energy rather than glucose. This happens in the liver; where essentially, your body takes fat and produces ketones that are then released into the blood for the body to use as fuel.

So what triggers this process?

Depleted glycogen stores and glucose in the blood. See, our brains can only run on glucose and ketones. So when glucose is in short supply, (like when you’re fasting or eating a low carb diet) our bodies have the ability to “flip the switch” and run off of ketones rather than glucose. And believe me, there are some major benefits!!

Obviously, weight loss is a major benefit. Once you enter ketosis, your body is utilizing your stored body fat as energy, how cool is that?!

But there’s more! The benefits also include: increased energy, increased mental focus and clarity, increased physical endurance, diabetes reversal, lower total cholesterol, lower triglycerides, less headaches, hormone balance, increase in fertility, epilepsy control and there are several medical studies that show a ketogenic diet is effective at eliminating cancer (it worked for me)!

So how do you get into ketosis?

The main thing required to get into ketosis is to limit your net carbs to 20g or less each day. What are net carbs, you ask? Net carbs can be found by taking the number of total carbohydrates in any given food and subtracting the fiber from it (because fiber should never count against you, lol).

Take avocados for example:

1 cup of sliced avocado has 12 grams of total carbohydrates. But they also contain 10 grams of fiber. So, once you do the math, a cup of avocado contains 2 net carbs. See how easy that was?!

Obviously, you’ll need to avoid sugar, breads, pasta and rice. That doesn’t sound so bad, right?! But, as with most things in life, it’s not quite that cut and dry. There are some sneaky carbs you’ll need to watch out for. You may have heard it said that SUGAR is the most addictive substance on the planet. Trust me, once you really start paying attention, you’ll see why. There is sugar in almost everything!! You HAVE to read ALL of your labels!!

So, you’re all excited about Keto and want to give it a try….

But where to start?

Here’s a list of some of my favorite websites. They’ve all got great info and fabulous recipes!!

Of course, if any of y’all have questions or would like some guidance as you start this new way of eating (WOE), I’m happy to be of assistance! I love watching my clients succeed and would be happy to help out in any way I can! You can contact me today through any of my social media accounts or simply drop me an email.

]]>http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/learning-the-basics-the-keto-way-of-eating/feed/0Keto Fried Chickenhttp://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/keto-fried-chicken/
http://transformationtrainer.com/2017/08/keto-fried-chicken/#respondTue, 01 Aug 2017 03:00:58 +0000http://transformationtrainer.com/?p=901+ Read More]]>Okay y’all, today’s post is another recipe; and to make it even better….it’s a Keto recipe! Now some of you might be asking, what’s Keto? No worries, I’ll explain it in a little more detail in next week’s post, but really quickly it’s an extremely low carb WOE (way of eating). The point behind it being that by restricting carbs, your body switches from burning glycogen for fuel, to fat. Say what?! I know right, super exciting!!! But, more on that next week, I promise.

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil on stove over medium heat (you’ll want to have about a quarter inch of oil covering the entire pan bottom AT ALL TIMES). Once the oil is hot, dredge your chicken in the egg mixture and then into the pork rind mixture. When it’s coated to your liking, carefully place the chicken into the skillet of hot oil. Cooking times will vary depending on what cut of chicken you use, and whether or not you use bone in chicken. Like I mentioned above, I used sliced chicken breast; they cooked in about a minute to a minute and a half per side. Just be careful not to overcook it as the chicken will become dry and tough.

Once it’s golden brown, remove from pan onto a plate or platter covered with paper towels to pull out extra grease and keep it crispy. I served mine with cauliflower “potato” salad (a potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes) and it was delish!! Enjoy!!

If you know me at all, you know how much I absolutely LOATHE doing indoor cardio. I’ve tried it all; walking on the “dreadmill”, the elliptical, rowing machines, ARC trainers, stair climbers…UGH! I’d much rather get up early and hit the road for a walk, bike ride, hike…you name it. ANYTHING beats indoor cardio in my book.

However, my best friend brought to my attention a wicked cool app called BitGym. So, being naturally curious, I downloaded it. Of course I had to try it out, lol! I hopped on the elliptical and started my cardio. I’m walking through Italy on a fun little mountain path with the wind whipping past me! What?! For real y’all!! Before I knew it, 10 minutes had flown by…then 20…then 45…..and I didn’t hate it. Win!!

Get this: it slows down/speeds up with you, offers little fun facts along your trail (which you can either read or ignore; but who’s to say you can’t learn a few things and exercise your brain while getting your cardio in at the same time?) and it has realistic nature sounds to make it even more lifelike. Pretty cool!! So what’s my vote on this little gem? This little app is a life saver! Well done BitGym! Love it!!